My parents are converting their garage into a room so my mother is busy cleaning out the garage. Much to my dismay, she wants to give me all the "peninah boxes" in the garage so I can go through them. Anyway, yesterday she brought over the first installment.
It was a box full of pictures, letters, cards, and various memorable objects from when I was between around 11 and 13. The letters were mostly from when I was in camp (from me and to me), there were cards from my Bat Mitzvah, and the pictures were from all aspects of my life at the time.
It was pretty amazing going through the box. Here are a few thoughts I had/have about it all:
- My mother is a pretty darn good mother. She wrote me before I left for camp so I would have letters on the first few days and she wrote every subsequent day I was there. I took it for granted then, but the letters were amazing.
-I was pretty shallow as a pre-teen. Nuff said.
-It is a really strange feeling to find letters and cards from relatives and friends who have died since sending them to you. It is funny, I kept all the letters and cards that I found from the people who have died,yet I threw out some letters from family members that I know won't be around forever. Wonder what that is all about.
-I found letters and pictures from friends I met in camp, NCSY and around. It is unbelievable that so many of the people who I became friends with when I was 11, 12, 13 are still important parts of my life. Most of these people were not from the same city as I was. Greg was looking at the letters and pictures and he could not believe how I literally have had the same friends for so many years.
-On the same note, it is so sad that the kids nowadays and in the future use IM, e-mail, and text messaging to keep up with friends. They use digital cameras to take pictures. How many kids have pen pals? How many kids wait by their front door for an anticipated letter to arrive from a friend out of town? How many kids store their pictures on hard drives rather than in picture albums or shoe-boxes? These kids won't have these boxes to go through when they grow up. What a loss...
Posted by peninah at May 6, 2004 01:03 PMactually I was touched by the compliment. thanks. ready for the next installment? and remember, the bikes are out by Sunday please!!
Posted by: mother at May 6, 2004 09:57 PMToo many easy ones to take shots at here; I stick to the two most obvious:
-"The letters were mostly from when I was in camp (from me and to me)..."
You wrote letters to yourself?
-"[My mother] wrote me before I left for camp so I would have letters on the first few days and she wrote every subsequent day I was there."
Substitute "letters" for "phone calls." The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Posted by: Greg at May 7, 2004 08:23 AMMy Mom also sent me letters before I left to camp so I would have mail right away! (They must learn that in Mom school)
Posted by: Sara at May 7, 2004 09:46 AMI was looking for info on penny stocks and came across your site. What a neat article, "Time in a Box." That sure takes me back. I think it says something (good) about people who keep long-time friends, family and relationships. My Dad (who is 81) and I were just talking about how time has changed...
...we watched TV (if you were lucky enough to have one) only when something important or a favorite was on when the whole family would gather. Now kids have TV's in their rooms.
...we all ate at the same time at the dinner table. Now everyone eats in shifts.
...everyone wanted to go outside and play. Now everyone sits on the sofa with a gameboy or at a computer.
...we had one family phone (usually in the hall). Now we all have cell phones including the kids.
The list goes on and on...
I live in the country and I take the time for the beautiful days, the cows, grandkids, etc. We all go through that busy cycle of life, but if you are lucky, you'll come back to the basics. Awwww, what peace!
Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful Mothers.
Mary
Glad you enjoyed that post Mary. Thanks for adding something special ;) (Late) Happy Mothers Day to you as well.
Posted by: peninah at May 10, 2004 08:39 PMGood Read
Posted by: Andie at November 5, 2004 12:36 AM